January 11, 2007

The Wikipedia Game

During the month that all the college students have been home, my living room has been filled with laptop computers, usually set carefully on the oak bench that we use as a coffee table. Sometimes a bunch of kids might be piled on the couch, watching an episode of Futurama on one of the laptops. Other times, they might all be gathered around a laptop puzzling over Weff Riddles. Updates from friends at other houses will come in the form of instant messages. "Philosophical Boy and Older Neighbor Boy are coming over," Boy in Black will announce as he glances at his computer screen.

Skater Boy recently began a new craze called the Wikipedia Game. He'll grab a laptop and challenge someone else on a different laptop. Both people go to Wikipedia and start in the same spot. I think the day he started the game, Shaggy Hair was working on his chemistry homework and so "Chemical Sources" is traditionally the place where they begin. Then someone calls out a word or term or person, like "Bob Dylan," and they race to see who can get there first. The rule is you can't type anything; you can only click on links. And you can't go backwards.

It's a surprisingly fascinating game. I raced Boy in Black the other night, and I got stuck for a long time in medieval weapons. We were racing from "Chemical Sources" to "Thor's Hammer." I lost the game, but I have to say it's the most random information I've read in a long time. And it's cool to see that no matter what two terms someone yells out, everything ultimately can be connected.

So for a few seconds I was all excited about the Wikipedia game, but that's all forgotten now, because I am obsessively hooked on Weff Riddles! You may have just single-handedly destroyed any hope I had of being productive this semester.

(And for all you who want to try out the wikipedia game, I'd be happy to host a tournament at the bar sometime!)

If you enjoy playing the Wikipedia Game, you might find this intriguing... a freeware game has been created on the same concept. It is a downloadable program which automates the game, keeps track of scores, and enforces the rules. You can download it for free here: The Wikipedia Game

I started this game up with a friend but i had no idea other people already played it. I do it random article and then you both go to a chosen page or another variation e play is starting from the main page. Another variation we ask two people to choose two pages and then we go from 1 to the other.

It's more fun this way..your friend gives you two random things like.. racoon and shoelace, and from racoon you have to click the links and find shoelace (and obviously you can't click back either) and then your friend gives you two random things and you do the same and whoever finds theirs first wins.